365: Week 11

3/11/13:  Technically I've shot this poster in the past, but I just love it that much that it needed to be in this project

3/12/13:  Some shiny happy things you find on the track (to clarify to non track peeps those are starting gun blanks, nothing to be alarmed about)

3/13/13:  Rugrat loves grocery days especially when I forget the reusable bags

3/14/13:  Apparently AARP didn't get the memo that I never plan on growing up, I'm a Toys-R-Us kid

3/15/13:  Some seriously aged & worn in college paraphernalia I still own, and proof I will never grow up...also Let's go Rams!!

3/16/13:  Oz!! And buttery goodness

3/17/13: VCU repping in Brooklyn

3/11

3/12

3/13

3/14

3/16

3/15

3/17

365: Week 10

3/4/13:  Planks never hurt anyone or my delts for that matter

3/5/13:  Cheers to mac n cheese, friends, and endless laughs

3/6/13:  Entrance to Manhattan bridge somehow reminds me of Paris minus the funk of chinatown behind me

3/7/13:  When a 3rd grader says/draws it out, it can't not be true

3/8/13:  Too many sneakers, who me? Nah, I swear I need them all...1 pair for long runs, shorter long runs, warmups/cooldowns, 1 for hurdles, 1 for short intervals,  long intervals, and the other 10 because I just need them

3/9/13:  Some heavy reading for going home after work

3/10/13:  Let's make excellent the rule...done and done

3/4

3/6

3/5

3/7

3/8

3/9

3/10

365: Week 9

2/25/13:  Where there's hope there's love, and where there's love there's hope

2/26/13:  The perfect To Do list

2/27/13:  Silly NYers, when will you learn umbrellas and wind don't mix

2/28/13:  Some days you have to look at your reflection to realize what really matters the most...you

3/1/13:  Don't walk...run

3/2/13:  My fav Sat morning workout. Hills hurt but they are the best feeling once they've been conquered (this is for actual hills and those figurative life ones)

3/3/13:  Finding Créme Brûlèe coffee beans makes for happy mornings

2/25

2/26

2/27

2/28

3/1

3/3

3/2

365: Week 8

2/18/13:  That ah-ha moment when the lightbulb turns on...time to shine bright

2/19/13: It begins and ends on the track...true story

2/20/13: "Tool time hot girl" as I've been dubbed by some friends is playing with power tools & such

2/21/13:  Found the break line

2/22/13:  Couldn't resist adding these soon to be beauties with my groceries. My inherent love of flowers probably is the result of my great grandparents owning a flower shop...just a guess ;-)

2/23/13:  Love my Kitchen Aid. No ref/processed sugar means I have to make my own bread

2/24/13:  Terrified of heights, yet as of late the fire escape has been my means of "escape"

2/18

2/19

2/21

2/22

2/23

2/24

2/20

Timing is everything

Webster's definition of timing: 1 a : placement or occurrence in time timing
 of the sale couldn't have been better>
 b : the ability to select the precise moment for doing something for optimum effect timing>
2: observation and recording (as by a stopwatch) of the elapsed time of an act, action, or process


Pretty much 99.91% life like most revolves around time and timing (I'm sure there's got to be .09% that doesn't, probably not but I like to give the benefit of the doubt).
Track/running that's 100% all time: the time it takes to train, the stopwatch timing your intervals, the time it takes to do each interval, the time it takes to rest, the amount of time you sleep, the time when you eat or drink before and after a practice/race, and the time you clock in a race. Everything in that realm is almost precise.  A tenth of sec can make or break a race, determine a winner, or PR. In training there is a small window for every workout interval you need to hit. And when it comes to rest in in between intervals, there is a huge difference between 2 min rest and 5 min rest. Timing at it's finest.

Then there's the time in my work lives. As a personal trainer my clients pay by the time they spend with me. I have to develop programs around a time frame for their goals. I have to time my time going to and from clients so as not to be late. In my restaurant world I have to make sure my timing is right on so my guests aren't waiting too long for something, and food and drinks come out at the right time. Timing can make or break someone's experience. 



And lastly there's timing in my personal life. That might be the most frustrating and most fulfilling/best. I could go on for days on timing in this realm. Most recently my timing commodity last week I was caught in both ends of the spectrum. It started with the end of a "relationship" with a guy I had been seeing/hanging out with. Unfortunately the timing of our tryst was off for him, possibly mine too (but this was only brought to light after). Timing is everything. Then to displace my disappointment in that end and the light it brought to other untimely demises also going on in my life (you know when it rains it pours), I last minute decided to run away to Virginia for a cheer up session with some of my closest friends. Since most of my friends have normal day jobs they usually don't have days free during the week. I knew this but took that chance anyway, when you feel like your life just drowned you it doesn't matter. It just so happened that one of my best friends (who has been deemed my twin since we have this unparalleled connection where pretty much of all of what we do & say is in crazy sync from the 1st day we met to even 300+ miles away now) took that particular week off. I didn't know this, she actually took it off months ago so her and her husband could do something but those plans fell through for them, leaving her off for the week. She even debating going in to pick up hours and decided not to just before I announced to her that I was coming down. Perfect timing (and probably our weird in-sync twin thing). It was also perfect timing too since another best friend had been rolling through a super tough time and could have used a visit. 

Time, time, oh time, ugh time, it doesn't stand still, some days there's not enough of it, sometimes it vanishes into thin air, precision can be everything, it can be perfect, it can be on your side, it can be untimely and it can be disappointing. But it will always be there (it's the one thing I can't run away from).

365: Week 7

2/11/13:  I honestly felt so uninspired today I didn't think I'd capture anything today...that was until I decided to walk the 3+ miles home instead of run or train it from my client this evening, and somehow the massive fog outside cleared the crazy fog in my head and was able to take this gem
2/12/13:  The wheels on the bus go round and round...the impromptu run away with 8 hours of motion sickness and nausea was worth every bit of being able to see a surprised face, hug and catch up with a couple of best friends
2/13/13: My crazy fur buddy giving me love after our run 
2/14/13: This is what happens when twins go to the mall and the evil twin talks the good twin out of getting her tattoo for shoes & other booty
2/15/13 (1):  Serene and beautiful walk around Belle Isle with Twin & B
2/15/13 (2): Obligatory Tobacco Co visit with candle lit Alison
2/16/13: For someone who is ALWAYS cold, it kinda amazes me of my hatred for socks or shoes that cover my feet in the winter
2/17/13: One of my fav amazeballs purchases this week...I mean, I couldn't not buy it with that name...guilty marketing name/package sucker (unless it has some celebrity attached to it then not so much)

2/11

2/12

2/13

2/14

2/15 (1)

2/15 (2)

2/16

2/17

365: Week 6

2/4/13: Don't we all wish that life's occurrences came with one of these, and as easy as well
2/5/13: Dusting of snow on the river
2/6/13: Sunshine rising it's way up
2/7/13: Doh! No photo of the day
2/8/13: Someone shook up the snow globe
2/8/13 (2) : (Since I failed a 2/7 potd, a double day photo) Melted snow drops on my bag
2/9/13: Ruminating over life's sense of humor and nature's beauty (for the record trying to take a self pic with an SLR without a tripod and/or remote with your right hand is incredibly awkward and hard)
2/10/13: Gave my little man legs, he went for a run and overheated

2/4

2/5

2/6

2/8 (2)

2/8

2/10

2/9

The Best is yet to come

Stuck in a strong hold again, and trying to problem solve my way out. A piece of my puzzle is missing. While I know that there are a few corner pieces that need to be rounded out and lend their hand to a bit of the problem, I don't believe that they are the main contributing factors. So I sit here trying to figure out exactly what piece is missing. I have my many guesses but nothing concrete.
As I mentioned in my last post I decided to stay in NY to race.  Well that has come and gone and I'm $20 lighter, farther from my goal times than previously and banging my head ever so gently against the wall. As for me worrying about the heat being competitive enough, that ended up not being an issue. Yes I realize I made my decision based on training through the season, but that doesn't mean it doesn't frustrate me to no end, because I know that something key is MIA. 

Could it be that my diet/hydration state is off? Could it be I'm still psyching myself way out before racing? Could it be my head is getting in the way during the race? Could it be my lack of consistency in the weight room? Could it be not having a training partner is holding back extra potential in practice? Could it be just the wrong event? Could it be something I just don't know?
So many could it be's now its time to make a few tweaks and clean up. Maybe I'll find that it has been staring at me, right under my nose, it's just in the wrong place in or burying under as couple layers.
Its a good thing I really like puzzles.

Oh I did forgot to mention that even though my race didn't pan out remotely to be what I'd hoped, and after I stopped deciding to be mopey, I took advantage of being at the track with hurdles and turned it into a hurdle workout. A very solid one at that.

Decision made

After a few days of consideration and weighing all of my options (and still not really coming to a complete ground breaking verdict) I've decided to take my chance and stay in NY to compete. I think financially it's my soundest conclusion. As well safest bet physicality wise.

My major conclusion of this came after the realization that my plan for indoor track was to basically train through the season and use that base to kick my outdoor season in full gear. My goal is to peak only once and I want that to be outdoors. In years past I have peaked for phenomenal indoor seasons and tried again to peak months later in outdoor. Unfortunately my body used the 1st peak as my hard peak and my next season peak as the soft peak leaving me often a bit disappointed and craving more.

The logistics (which I only just learned in my USATF level 1 coaching classes this past fall) are the body really can only handle 1 solid hard peak, the one before or after will not be as good. And that's the cold hard truth, no matter what your age. You can certainly train all year long but you'll only hit your very best once. So for any of you out there who may not have known this, use this info to your advantage and choose wisely when you want your ultimate top to be.

And with that I'm sticking to my original plan to go ahead and train through indoor, not fretting over this upcoming race. Decision made, New York it is.

365: Week 5

1/28/13: Special delivery package for a special friend

1/29/13: Time only stands still when it's over
1/30/13: Sorry can't spare my two cents, gotta cash it for something bigger
1/31/13: A shiny reminder that 'Nothing is impossible'
2/1/13: Chinatown massage splurge is in need
2/2/13: Some days it's a long, cold and lonely stretch
2/3/13: I'm not a 'crazy cat lady', my cat's a 'crazy lady cat'

1/28

2/2

1/31

1/30

2/1

1/29

2/3